


Showing Pride

by SaintSayaka



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Pearlnet, Pride, Scraps, Tumblr: otpprompts, prompt, strawman-ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-03
Updated: 2016-05-03
Packaged: 2018-06-06 04:52:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6738877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaintSayaka/pseuds/SaintSayaka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pearl and Garnet visit a Pride parade in order to cheer on Steven, who's made a float with for the event. How will they react when protesters arrive and have a few choice words for the Gems?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Showing Pride

**Author's Note:**

> This has been sitting around my drafts for a while - so long, in fact, that Peridot was never written into it. But with the bomb coming up, I figured, why not? Thanks to OTP Prompts for the idea.

“I will simply never get a grasp of these human traditions,” Pearl complained loudly. Even over the sound of the roaring trumpets and colorfully dressed participants, her comment made its way to the ears of a few passersby, who either looked at the pair strangely or glared. Garnet, steady as usual, continued to push through the rowdy crowd. More than once her effort ended with her hands being coated with lost feathers or sequins.

A man decked in what appeared to be peacock feathers yelled after her. “Nice outfit, dude!”

Garnet paused, causing Pearl to slam directly into her back.

“I am not a ‘dude’.”

“Oh.” The man looked Garnet over briefly. “Then what are you? He? She? They?”

“I am a sentient space rock,” she simply replied, and continued to make her way through the crowd.

The man’s companion clapped him on the back as Pearl and Garnet walked away.

“It’s Pride, man. You’re gonna meet a few people out there.”

It didn’t take the two long to locate Steven, who perched on the edge of a giant float. A cursory glance would tell you that it was a rainbow – rather conventional. But upon closer inspection, it was clearly noticeable that every color of the float was built out of what appeared to be post it notes. The pair smiled. Steven had been working tirelessly at this project for weeks, collecting the names of over one thousand persons who supported LGBTQ to cover his float with from the bottom up. Above him stood Connie on a stepladder, who was putting the final few touches on the red curve.

“Steven! Over here!” Pearl waved excitedly. Steven leaped off of the float – something that made 

Pearl almost faint, considering the height – and ran over to her.

“You guys really came!”

“We’re proud of you, Steven,” said Garnet, “of course we wanted to see this.”

“Where Amethyst?” asked Pearl. She didn’t trust the gem as far as she could throw her (probably a foot or two) when it came to human relations outside of Beach City.

Steven shrugged. “I think she mentioned getting some food.”

She sighed. “Should we go looking for her?”

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Garnet replied. “What I would be worrying about is that group over there.”

They descended on the group before Pearl could even manage a word in edgewise, their fiery signs ringing around Steven’s float. Women and men, clad in plain shirts and scowls, approached the four. Connie joined Steven on the ground, drawing to his side like a magnet. Garnet was silent. Pearl was not.

“Can we help you?” she asked, taking time to read their signs. Her expression perfectly reflected her thoughts on them. Living in Beach City for so long had dulled her to the cruelty of some humans.

Steven was doing the same, reading the signs with a sort of intensity he usually saved for new issues of his favorite comic. Unlike Pearl, though, he didn’t quite understand them. But the leader of the group, a man dressed in black, wasn’t going to let him remain ignorant.

“This is disgusting,” he said, in quite a normal and placid tone, as if he were discussing the weather. “Exposing children to this is a sin. Maybe you ought to read this.” He withdrew a flyer from his pocket and handed it to Garnet, who he evidently immediately designated as Steven’s guardian. Steven was about to apologize to the group for the unfinished float looking bad, he really did do his best, but he was stopped by Garnet. Pearl watched in quiet shock. She couldn’t lose her cool in front of Steven – it wouldn’t be appropriate. But the mistake of handing such propaganda to Garnet of all gems turned her body cold. She waited silently for her partner’s reaction.

A smile.

It was slight, so slight that only those close to the gem could have noticed it. But Garnet was smiling, without a doubt. It was the type of reaction she had when discovering the perfect way to subdue the enemy, or made Steven laugh. Pearl knew she was planning something. Steven looked on in silent awe, still somewhat unaware of the gravity of the situation. She began flipping through the pamphlet. The protesters watched silently. Evidently, she was the only one all day to give them the time of day.

Finally, she stopped. “I’ve come to a decision.”

It was if the world stopped. And for Pearl, it did. Because Garnet reached over and pulled her into a deep, prolonged…kiss? It was impossible to tell. Within seconds, the heat of the moment had melted both of them into Sardonyx, who towered over the protestors.  


“And my decision,” they continued, “is that you should leave.”

The group did not have to be told twice. Clearly new to the world of the gems, they frantically ran, catching a few just as shocked pride participants in their wake.

The two unfused just as gently as they came together, Pearl clearly more flustered than her partner. Steven gaped.

“You guys, that was amazing! Can you do that on my float?”

Pearl wanted to reply with a hearty “yes, Garnet, can we do that on his float?” – but held her tongue.

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the following prompt from OTPPrompts: Imagine your OTP being of the same gender and going to pride, only to be greeted by religious protesters. They then proceed to make out in front of them.


End file.
